Wilfred Benitez vs Roberto Duran

:happy

 

One of the things with Benitez is he didn't always train for fights. He was inconsistent in his performances, and this was probably based on if he trained hard or not. The guy who fought Maurice Hope was elite. The guy who fought Duran was Elite. The guy who fought Leonard was very good, but not at the top of his game. It was rumored that Wilfred only trained for a week for the Leonard fight. He did gas out in the fight.
Also, Benitez was mildy touched, so this might have a bearing on his lack of focussed performances.

 

Then that was my fault for being unclear. That was exactly the point I was trying to illustrate. I believe Benitez was at his physical peak at junior middle. I think that Duran was at his at lightweight. That is why I pointed out their difference in weight when each fighter was 17, to point out their difference in size. You could make the argument that Benitez physically matured faster, but I think there size difference later in life disproves that. 17 year old Benitez was 16-18lbs than a 17 year old Duran, much like the weight differential between these fighters at their physical primes.

Peak for peak, you've got a lightweight versus a junior middleweight.

Looking back at my original post in this thread, I see that I should have specified by saying "that Benitez," as in the one he faced. A younger version of Benitez would be smaller, and negate an important factor Benitez needs to defeat Duran.

 

So what about at 147? The Duran who beat up Sugar Ray Leonard vs the Benitez that outboxed Carlos Palomino?

 

Duran and Benitez at 140 would have been a great fight. Thats the best weight to match them both at their combined best.

 

I think it would have been a lot more entertaining.

I don't think that Benitez would elect to trade as much as Leonard did in that fight, but I think Duran's punches would have more effect on Benitez than they did against Leonard.

I think that Benitez would win the earlier rounds, but would work harder than he did in their actual encounter. I think that Duran would take the fight over around the 9th and grind out a stoppage around 12 or 13. I may still favor Benitez over 12, but I don't think he could make it to the end if they were going 15.

 

Screw the hoopla....... Duran was in the mud in 1982 from depression and poor training habits, but he got his act together in 1983 for three fights with "Cuevas, Moore & Hagler."

Duran of '84 was suppose to be retired, but 2.5 million bucks brought him back to get KO'd / wasted by a peak Hearns at 154 pounds........ Nuff said there.......

1985 was an inactive year for Duran who again was suppose to be retired, but as usual, Duran goes through money like Hitler stormed through Poland during WW2....... Duran never could just walk away for any great length in time........

Okay, Okay.... Point is, Duran is naturally smaller than Benitez, and older by "7" yrs as well...... We all know that a 31 year old Duran lost his ass by a decision to a 24 year old Benitez in 1982 on HBO..... BUT! The freaky thing is, I'd bet that a 1987 through 1989 Duran who was up at ages 36 to 38 and beating mo-fo's like Juan C. Giminez, Paul Thorn, Ricky Stackhouse, Jeff Lanas & Iran Barkley during that frame, would beat the **** outta a near 30 year old Benitez who's ass had been kicked by Davey Moore and Matthew Hilton, etc.... In and around the same time Duran was embarking on another successful comeback, Benitez was becomming a pug / punching bag...... Christ, poor old Benitez was shot by 1985 to the max... I do happen to own a USA fight of his from '86 in which Benitez wins a dull 10 rounder against a clubber named Paul Whittaker....... Seriously, a post 1985 Duran at an advanced age mauls the younger Benitez to death...... In boxing, timing is everything...... Power helps too............... Cheers.........

MR.BILL

 

I agree.

It would've been a tough fight to call. Benitez would've had to get his respect in order to hold him off, and his chin would've been a liability.

 

I would have like to see Leonard-Benitez at 154. That would have been a great fight that Wilfred had a serious chance of winning.

 

Maybe that was the case whenever he fought someone he knew he couldn't beat. I think that Benitez just had his number...ice over fire.

 

None of that where BRuce Curry was concerned, he just waded right in and tore Benitez up with left hooks.

Curry got shafted in the rematch by his management by having fight in japan right before he was to fight Wilfred again.